A canal city between Shanghai and Hangzhou, gateway to the water towns of Wuzhen and Xitang.
Jiaxing sits on the Grand Canal halfway between Shanghai and Hangzhou, and is the launch point for Zhejiang's prettiest water towns — Wuzhen and Xitang, with stone lanes and night reflections.
The city itself has a lakeside park and the site of the first CCP congress.
Here are the highlights worth your time in Jiaxing.
A polished water town with a famous night light-and-water show.
¥150 (west+east)A less groomed town of covered lanes and riverside bars.
¥95A city lake with a revolutionary-history island.
¥60Jiaxing has its own kitchen — here are the dishes to try.
Glutinous rice dumplings, sweet or savoury.
Fresh canal fish.
Soy-braised duck.
Nearby Anji white tea.
The water-and-light spectacle.
Riverside bars in the old town.
Evening walks by the water.
Jiaxing South on the high-speed line; ~20min from Hangzhou, ~30min from Shanghai.
Shanghai (PVG) or Hangzhou (HGH).
Buses to Wuzhen/Xitang (~1h).
DiDi within the city.
Where you stay shapes the trip. Three good bases:
Sleep inside the water town.
Riverside rooms, livelier at night.
Central, cheaper base.
Water-town tourists and Shanghai-weekend escapees.
